Switch-operating mechanism.



PATENT-ED DEC. 8, 1903.

I. RUlIDORFF. 'SWITGH OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 26, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

n4: NORNH nzrzns co. PHOTO-UTHO" WASHINGTON, uv n.

Patented December 8, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

THEODORE RUNDORFF, or BURLINGTON, IOWA.

'1 SWITCH-OPERATINGMECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 746,170, dated December 8, 1903.

Application filed se amb'er 26, 1903. Serial to. 174.794. (No al) To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THEODORE RUNDORFF, a citizen of the United States, residing at Burs lington, in the county of Des M oines and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and use-, ful Improvements in Switch-Operating Mech anisms; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will 7 enable others skilled in the art towhich it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in switch-operating mechanisms. y

The object of the invention is'to provide means carried by the car and operated by the motorman or the operator thereon for actuating suitable mechanisms for throwing the switch bar or tongue.

Another object of the invention is to construct-a switch mechanism inclosed in a casing below the level of the rails foractuating the switch-bar when it is desired to do so by I suitable means carried upon a car. 1

and more particularly pointed out in the. ap

pended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of one'end of a car showing my improved switch-operating mechanism mounted upon 1 the-platformthereof; a portionof the topot' a step and platform of the car being. broken away tomore clearly. show the-operation and construction of the device, Fig. 2-is-aplan 'view of aswitch-casing containing the mechanism for'controllingthe actuation'ofthe 1 Like numerals of reference sponding parts throughoutall the figures of switch-point.- Fig.3 is as=vertical sectional view of the switch-mechanism, taken on lines 2 2;.Fig. 2. Fig.4 is a detail perspective'view ofthe bed-plate.

indicate correthedrawings. i

This invention relates to -a class of -switchoperating mechanisms in which a switch-en'- gaging member is'carried vby-the platform of a car so arranged that the motorman of the car may depress the saidimechanismby foot so as to operate the :switch when. desired,..the 'mechanism,'as 'illustratedintheaccompanying drawings, whiclishow a practical form of the device, comprising a pivoted member 1, which p is journaled' at 2 to a bracket 3, secured to theplatform 4 of a car. The pivoted member is preferably made in the form of a sector, one

end of which'projects upwardly through an elongated slot,5 to a suitable distance above the platform 4, this end of the sector 4 being provided with a removable step or foot-en-v gaging portion 6, which may be' reached by the foot of the car-driver or motorm an for depressing the sector. The foot-engaging member 6 of the sector 1 is provided with a hole low portion at 7, which is adapted to inclose a tongue formed upon the main portion of the sector 1. 7 It will be apparent that the said member 6 can be easilydetached fromv the sector when it is desired. The sector 1 is preferably weighted, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, by means of a weight 9'secured to the outer end thereof. The sector may be made of a solid piece, if desired; but it-is preferably formed with a portion connected with the pivotal point by spokes, as at 8. The sector carries a projection 10 upon its portion, which when the sector is depressed ex- 7 tends to a point in suitable proximity to the track to engage a portion of the switch.

The switch mechanism is mounted within a suitable casing 11, which is provided with a depressed portion-l2 andiaremovable. cover 13, which is-provided witha plurality of,elon. gatedslots 24.. The switch. bar ortongue 1.4 isprovidedwith a laterallyeext'en ding arm 15; which extends into the casing .11- and is pro.- vided at its endW-ith aprojection or extension. 16.- 1: The bar 14 and its arm 15 arepivotally mounted at "17. 'Within the depressed per:

tion: of the casing-11 is-removably mounted a bed-'platelS, 'whichlis providedlwith parallel vertically? extending; projections or guides and with a centrally-arranged" extension 20, said extension being. provided -'with--ani internal'ly-screwethreaded; aperture. ;A; lever member 21, provided with avertically-extending projection 22, is pivotallymounted, .by

means of a bolt 23,up'on the bed-plate 18.-

The saidbolt 23- is adapted to retain the said lever member 21 in amo vable position upon the said bed-plate. aThe-end of the lever-extending arm. 15 carrying the projectiomldis adapted to; bear uponioneLofirthe.parallelextensions of ICO the bed-plate 18. A portion of the lever member 21 provided with the extension 22 is also adapted to bear upon one of the parallel members of said bed-plate, and its opposite end is adapted to normally engage the inner endof the arm 15. The said lever 21 is preferably provided with a twisted portion 24, which causes the extensions on either side of its pivotal point to project therefrom in difierent transverse planes. The projections or studs 16 and 22 preferably project a short distance above the rails of the track, so that when the foot-bar 6 of the sector 1 is depressed the projection 10 on that particular sector will be brought into the position as shown in Fig. 1- that is, in the path of its corresponding extension 22 or 16, engaging said extension or stud and moving the switch-bar 14 to one side or the other, according to which way it is desired to set the switch. It will be obvious upon examining Fig. 2 of the drawings that each car is provided with a plurality of these operating-sectors, which are adapted to control the actuation of the switch mechanism. One of the sectors mounted upon the car-platform is adapted to engage the projection 16, formed upon the lateral extending arm 15 of the switch-bar 14. Another sector mounted upon the said platform 4 is also adapted to engagetheprojection22,formeduponthelever member 21. A car approaching the switch, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, and having to run to one side upon the switch, the motorman or driver will depress the sector carried by the platform 4. of the car which corresponds to the extension 16, formed upon the laterallyextending arm 15 of the switch-bar let, so that its projection 10 will engage said extension or stud 16 and pivot said switch-bar upon its pivotal point 17 until the switch-bar is thrown against the inner guard-rail 25. As soon as the switch-bar has been forced thus far by the sector the stud or extension 10 will be removed from engagement therewith if the car continues in motion, or if it is desired to move the said extension from contact with the point extending from the arm 15 the same operation can be produced by the operator removing the pressure which is upon the member 6 of the sector 1, and thereby permit the said weighted member to return to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. If the switch is opened and it is desired to continue upon the main or straight track, by depressing the corresponding sector, which is adapted to engage the pro jection 22,secured to the lever-arm 2l,the said switch will be closed. It will be apparent upon considering the drawings that when the stud 22 is engaged the lever member 21 will be caused to pivot. As the opposite end normally engages the inner end of the arm or bar 15 the said bar will be moved within the easing 11. It will thus be seen that the position of the switch can be entirely controlled without the operator getting down from the car or even stopping the car.

The mechanism can be applied to streetcars, railroads, or other places where it is novel or useful to throw a switch without having to dismount from the platform of a car. The casing, and also the mechanism mounted therein, can be easily placed upon any roadbed for the actuation of the switch tongue or bar. The switch mechanism and its actuating member carried by the car is exceedingly simple in construction and efficient in operation.

Although I have described the preferred form of my invention in the foregoing description, I reserve the right to make such modifications and alterations as shall fairly fall within the scope of the invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A switch mechanism comprising a pivoted member jonrnaled upon the platform of a car, a detachable end portion of said member projecting above the platform, a projection carried by said member and arranged in the path of a portion of the switch to be operated upon, and weighted means for normally holding the said projection out of the path of .said switch portion.

2. A switch mechanism comprising a pivoted sector, a foot-engaging portion detachably secured to said sector at one end thereof and a weight formed integral with said sector at the opposite end thereof, a switch-bar provided with a laterally-extending arm, an xiliary means engaging said arm and actuated by the sector carried by the car.

F. A switch-operatin g mechanism com prising a casing, a switch-bar provided with a laterally-extending arm projecting into said casing, a lever projecting into said casing, a lever member pivotally mounted with said casing, and means for pivoting said lever member and thereby actuating the switchbar.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination of a casing providedwith a depressed portion, a switch bar pivotally mounted adjacent to said casing and provided with a laterally-extending arm projecting into and slidably mounted within said casing, said arm formed with an extension, a lever member provided with an extension pivotally mounted within said casing and normally engaging said arm secured to the switch-bar and means for imparting motion to said lever and the arm of the switch-bar.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination with a casing provided with a depressed portion, a cover removably mounted upon said casing and having a plurality of apertures, a switch-bar secured in an adjacent position to said casing and provided with a laterally-extending arm projecting into the casing, said arm formed integral with the vertically-extending projection which is adapted to project through one of the apertures formed in the cover, a lever member pivotally secured within said casing and provided at one end a projection extending from said lever member, and means forpivoting the said lever member and imparting motion to the arm mounted within the casing of the switch-bar.

7. A switch mechanism comprising a casing provided with a cover, a bed-plate secured therein comprising a base, parallel extensions secured thereto, a central portion formed integral with said base, a twisted lever pivotally mounted upon said bed-plate, a switch-bar formed integral with a laterallyextending arm mounted in a position adjacent to said casing, said laterally-extending arm projecting into said casing and normally engaging the lever member mounted therein,and means for actuating said arm carried by the switchbar or the lever member. V

8. A switchoperating mechanism comprising a switch-bar provided with a laterallyextending arm, a projection extending in a vertical position secured to said arm, a lever member provided with a vertical extension normally engaging said arm, and means for moving said lever or the arm carried by the switch-bar.

9. A switch-operating mechanism comprisingaswitch-bar formed integral with an arm,

a casing secured in an adjacent position to said switch-bar and partly inclosing said arm, a bed-plate secured within said casing, said bed-plate provided with a parallel extension, a. projection formed upon the inner end of said arm and normally engaging one of said projections formed upon the-bed-plate, a lever member pivotally mounted upon said bedplate, a projection formed integral with said lever member at one end, said projection mounted upon one of the parallel extensions of the bed-plate, at its opposite end mounted upon a parallel projection of the bed-plate carrying the projection formed upon the arm of the switch-bar, and independent means adapted to actuate the said lever member or arm for imparting motion thereto.

10. A switch-operating mechanism comprising a casing, a bed-plate mounted therein, a

lever detachably secured to said bed-plate, I

said lever provided with a vertical extension at one end thereof, a switch-bar secured in an adjacent position to said casing and formed integral with a laterally-extending arm, said arm slidably mounted within said casing, and provided. with an extension at its inner end, said end normally engaged by the lever member, and means for engaging the projections formed upon the lever member or the arm carried by the switch-bar for pivotally adjusting the said switch-bar.

'In testimony whereof. I hereunto aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THEODORE RUNDORFF. Witnesses:

VERA SEWING, M. J. MERCER. 

